Amazon Unbox arrives on the TiVo

Series 2 and Series 3 TiVo owners can now download movies directly from Amazon …

Many TiVo owners can now begin renting and purchasing movie downloads via Amazon Unbox, as the two companies have flipped the switch on their new partnership. Announced in early February, Amazon Unbox on TiVo lets Series 2 and Series 3 TiVo owners download content from Amazon Unbox directly to their TiVos, solving the dilemma of how to get your downloaded content to the family room TV without a media center PC or an Xbox 360.

Amazon Unbox debuted in September 2006 to less-than-stellar reviews. Amazon was able to beat Apple to the download punch—and still offers movies from a broader selection of studios—but the user experience left a lot to be desired. Since that time, Amazon has managed to fix many of the glitches. If you don't own a TiVo, however, the service is Windows-only.

Content downloaded from Unbox to your TiVo will be in standard-definition, leaving Xbox Live as the only service currently offering high-definition content. Single episodes of TV shows can be purchased for $1.99. Movies are available for rental starting at $1.99, or can be purchased for between $9.99 and $14.99, depending on the title. All purchased movies are also automatically "stored" in a customer's "Your Media Library" on Amazon for easy access.

TiVo subscribers interested in getting in on the Unbox fun need to register via the new Amazon.com TiVo site. The registration links up subscribers' Amazon and TiVo accounts. Once registration is complete, users can buy or rent movies from Amazon Unbox directly from their TiVos, leaving the PC out of the equation entirely. To entice new users, Amazon and TiVo are offering $15 in free rentals for anyone signing up for the service through the end of April.

According to TiVo, there are over 1.5 million broadband-ready Series 2 and Series 3 subscribers, giving Amazon Unbox a significant installed base to work with and a big head start on Apple's upcoming Apple TV. The downside is that TiVo's (and Amazon's) ceiling is lower, as many cable and satellite TV subscribers use set-top boxes and DVRs offered by their service providers. The lack of an HD option may also be a turnoff, especially for HD-loving Series 3 owners. If you don't want to drive down to the local video store—or walk all the way to your mailbox—the Unbox-TiVo partnership may be exactly what you're looking for.